How much protein is in sweet potato per 100 g?
Sweet potato has about 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per 100 g. Boiled sweet potato without skin is near the lower end, while baked sweet potato is near the upper end because cooking changes its water content. A medium sweet potato usually provides only about 2 to 3 g, so it contains protein but is not a high protein food.
Key takeaways
- Sweet potato provides about 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per 100 g, depending on preparation.
- A medium sweet potato contributes roughly 2 to 3 g of protein, which is useful but not enough to carry a meal.
- Baking can make the per-100-g number look slightly higher because the potato loses water as it cooks.
- Sweet potato is mainly a carbohydrate food. Its strengths are energy, fibre and micronutrients rather than protein density.
- Pair it with beans, eggs, fish, chicken, tofu or Greek yoghurt when you want the meal to reach a meaningful protein total.
Sweet potato contains protein, but not enough to make it a protein food. The useful number is about 1.4 to 2.0 g per 100 g, depending on whether it is raw, boiled or baked.1
That range is small enough that cooking method does not change the practical answer. A medium sweet potato adds a few grams to a meal. It does not replace the eggs, beans, fish, meat, tofu or dairy that would usually carry the protein total.
Sweet potato protein per 100 g
- 1.4 gSweet potato, boiled without skin100 g
- 1.6 gSweet potato, raw100 g
- 2 gSweet potato, baked100 g
- 3 gSweet potato, baked150 g
- 4 gSweet potato, baked200 g
Why is the baked number higher? Baking removes water. The potato weighs less after cooking, so the nutrients left behind become slightly more concentrated when measured per 100 g. Boiling can move the number the other way by leaving more water in the food.
The change is not large enough to turn one cooking method into a better protein choice. Even at 2 g per 100 g, you would need 1.5 kg of baked sweet potato to reach 30 g of protein.
Protein in a whole sweet potato
Sweet potatoes vary more in size than a label portion suggests. A small one may weigh close to 100 g, while a large one can pass 250 g.
| Cooked portion | Approximate protein |
|---|---|
| 100 g | 1.4 to 2.0 g |
| 150 g | 2 to 3 g |
| 200 g | 3 to 4 g |
| 250 g | 4 to 5 g |
For tracking, rounding a medium sweet potato to 3 g of protein is usually sensible. If the package or recipe provides a weight, multiplying that weight by about 0.02 gives a quick estimate for a baked potato.
Is sweet potato high in protein?
No. Sweet potato is mainly a carbohydrate food. It brings energy, fibre and micronutrients to a meal, while its protein contribution stays modest.
The distinction matters because foods can contain protein without being useful protein sources. A 200 g sweet potato contributes about 4 g. The same weight of cottage cheese contributes about 22 g, and 100 g of cooked chicken breast is close to 31 g.1
Sweet potato still belongs in a high protein meal. It simply needs a partner from the high protein foods list.
How to make a sweet potato meal higher in protein
Use the sweet potato as the base and add one food that can carry the number:
- A baked sweet potato with 150 g of cottage cheese: about 20 g of protein in total.
- A baked sweet potato with 120 g of cooked chicken breast: about 40 g.
- A baked sweet potato with 150 g of firm tofu: roughly 20 to 25 g, depending on the tofu.
- A baked sweet potato with three eggs: about 22 g.
- A baked sweet potato with a cup of beans: usually around 18 to 20 g.
Package values and recipes vary, so these are meal-building estimates rather than label claims. The pattern is the useful part: sweet potato supplies only a small fraction of the total, and the topping or side supplies most of it.
Sweet potato compared with regular potato
There is no meaningful protein win here. Cooked sweet potato and cooked white potato both sit close to 2 g per 100 g. Variety, water content and cooking method can move either one above the other in a database entry.1
Choose the potato you prefer, then judge the meal by what is served with it. If protein is the goal, changing the topping matters far more than changing the potato.
The number to log
Use 2 g per 100 g as a simple estimate for baked sweet potato and about 1.5 g per 100 g for boiled sweet potato. A medium cooked sweet potato can be logged as roughly 3 g of protein when you do not have a weight.
That is precise enough for a daily protein total. The difference between logging 2.5 g and 3 g will not decide whether you reach your target. Missing the protein food beside it will.
1: USDA FoodData Central reports nutrient values on a per-100-g basis and provides separate records for raw, boiled and baked sweet potato preparations.
More questions about Protein in food
How much protein is in 100 g of sweet potato?
About 1.4 to 2.0 g. Boiled sweet potato without skin is near 1.4 g per 100 g, raw sweet potato is around 1.6 g, and baked sweet potato is around 2.0 g. The difference is mostly preparation and water content rather than one version suddenly becoming protein rich.
Is sweet potato a good source of protein?
No. It contains some protein, but a normal serving contributes only about 2 to 4 g. Treat sweet potato as the carbohydrate part of a meal and add a concentrated protein food if you are working toward a daily target.
Does sweet potato have more protein than regular potato?
They are close. Both usually provide around 2 g of protein per 100 g once cooked, with the exact value changing by variety and preparation. Choose between them for taste and the rest of the meal, not for a meaningful protein difference.
